The subject invention relates to a clarinet weather shield cover for shielding the hands of a musician from weather conditions while playing a clarinet outdoors.
When playing musical instruments outdoors, such as but not limited to the playing of musical instruments at outdoor athletic events (football), outdoor holiday events (new years day parades), and other outdoor events or ceremonies, frequently, the weather conditions are cold, rainy, sleety, snowy and/or otherwise adverse. Most musicians play musical instruments that permit them to wear gloves to protect and warm their hands while playing in such adverse weather conditions. However, due to the need for a clarinetist to finger the finger holes and manipulate the closely adjacent keys of a clarinet while playing a clarinet, a clarinetist can""t wear protective gloves to warm his/her hands and keep them dry while effectively playing a clarinet. Thus, clarinetists have performed and continue to perform under adverse weather conditions without protecting their hands from adverse weather conditions such as cold, rain, sleet and/or snow. Playing a clarinet under such conditions is not only uncomfortable for the musician, but it can also affect his/her ability to play well.
The clarinet weather shield cover of the subject invention solves the problems outlined above by shielding the hands of a musician from weather conditions while the musician is playing a clarinet outdoors. The clarinet weather shield cover of the subject invention has a tubular envelope with rear and forward openings that seal about the clarinet. The length of the tubular envelope is greater than that portion of the clarinet containing the clarinet""s finger holes and keys but less than the length of the clarinet so that both the mouthpiece and the flared forward end of the clarinet extend beyond the tubular envelope. The lower portion of the tubular envelope has hand openings through which the musician inserts his/her hands to play the clarinet. Preferably, the ends of the tubular envelope are semi-rigid circular walls that hold the central portion of the envelope away from the clarinet in a substantially cylindrical tubular configuration to prevent the envelope from interfering with the playing of the clarinet and to provide a space for the musician""s hands that can be heated by the breath of the musician and sunrays. Preferably, the upper portion of the tubular envelope is translucent or transparent to permit the passage of sunrays into the envelope and the bottom portion of the tubular envelope is opaque to absorb the radiant energy of the sunrays entering the envelope through the upper portion of the envelope and warm the interior of the clarinet weather shield cover.